Vancouver's Retractable Roof likely to be CANCELLED

[Vancouver MLS]

I agree with Spartacus that it will be private money and private money only that will save a Retractable for the Caps. Otherwise it'll be a dome till the place is torn down and the Caps will have to accept that.

Heaven knows where that private money would come from, so I'm skeptical.

Grass is out of the question for BC Place for the same reason grass is out of the question for Rogers Center: too many trade shows and conventions and other events that need the turf to be removed.

That is why Rogers Center and BC Place use "Convertible" Fieldturf. It comes in square sections to be easily removed.

Look at the turf the Blue Jays play on. It's in square sections 6 feet aside.

Our turf is the same turf the Expos played on when they left Montreal in 2004; Olympic Stadium sold it to BC Place for $ 1.5 million.

[Vindaloo]

Grass is out of the question for BC Place for the same reason grass is out of the question for Rogers Center: too many trade shows and conventions and other events that need the turf to be removed.

That's not true. A renovated BC Place could install a modular natural grass system that can be taken out for different events. Greentech was used ( http://www.greentechitm.com/systems/multiuse.asp ) for Athens and Beijing for example. The entire pitch and replacement sections can be grown off-site and then rotated or replaced when needed.

They can also install a natural pitch and cover it with Terraplas ( http://www.terraplas.com/products/terraflor/ ). Wembley and many other stadia around the world and NA use this now. It doesn't damage the grass and even can prevent damage to grass after 5 days of being covered. It can successfully handle the extreme weight on it from rock concerts and trade shows as well. In fact, BC Place apparently already has one of their products to cover their plastic pitch.

With the sunlight coming in from the open areas around the stadium ring beam and with the roof opening combined with heat lamps like in European stadia, BC Place would have no problem handling a grass pitch. The only real issue is the cost, method used to implement it, and maintenance issues with throwball ruining the pitch. Greentech could solve that problem though with regrown modular pieces rotated in to replace damaged ones.

[Vancouver MLS]

Does this grass grow inside a dome? Or does it have to be exposed to sunlight and fresh air?

While modular systems have been used in other stadiums, keep in mind BC Place is used for 200 event days every year. The grass system will have to be adaptable to the rigors of that sort of schedule incorporating 9 Lions games and 16 MLS games plus the trade show schedule, concerts and Monster Trucks.

All of this rests on a Retractable Roof that will cost upwards of $ 200 million not including reinforcement.

No funding found for that, all bets are off

[mmmikey]

While modular systems have been used in other stadiums, keep in mind BC Place is used for 200 event days every year. The grass system will have to be adaptable to the rigors of that sort of schedule incorporating 9 Lions games and 16 MLS games plus the trade show schedule, concerts and Monster Trucks.

This will be an issue with or without a retractable roof.

[Vancouver MLS]

http://vancouver.24hrs.ca/News/local...67716-sun.html

[DOMIN8R]

Not a done deal yet but...B.C. Place to get retractable roof

B.C. Place Stadium will be fitted with a retractable roof after the conclusion of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games after all, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Globe and Mail.

The provincial government started waffling on the proposed roof project this summer, just before announcing that it would run four consecutive deficits and declaring the financial cupboard “bare.” Kevin Krueger, B.C.'s Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts told a commuter newspaper last month that tax dollars would not be used to cover the rising costs of the project, and that the province was looking for private-sector partners to help finance the estimated $300-million project.

More here:http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1314612/

[Vancouver MLS]

sorry to rain on the parade. The Government is denying the report:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-col...e-stadium.html

[james]

i never really wanted to see them play at BC Place anyways, its to big for the whitecaps, i hope they get a SSS built one day.

[Whoop]

Retractable roofs are super expensive.

Part of the reason why the Montreal Olympics went over budget... with that stupid roof at the Big O.

[werewolf]

Retractable roofs are super expensive.

Part of the reason why the Montreal Olympics went over budget... with that stupid roof at the Big O.

I wonder if it would be cheaper to install a proper drainage system with a high quality grass pitch.

[NF-FC]

I wonder if it would be cheaper to install a proper drainage system with a high quality grass pitch.

it would be cheaper, but they would only be able use for it for 30-40 sporting events instead of the 200+ event dates they currently have.

This stadium is getting a new roof, there is no way around it. The current one is falling apart and the facility needs a roof to be viable.